# Moos 20-Week Old Plumcake...



## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

... or, "_Plumcake for the rest of us_" by cquon, Slow Triathlete and Mister Moo. Plumcake inspires so many kind words and MacBaren products have fried so many tongues. I thought, after my last MacEpisode, I'll never buy one of their products again. But Plumcake with its many loving reviews beckoned. So I went to JR for something else and came home with a fresh, crisp tin of Plumcake. Slow'lete wanted to try some and we agreed to smoke it down and comment. Here it begins with cquon as unofficial moderator and the man to keep it honest.

I recently wrote in Mad Hatter's Plumcake review,

"_*I cracked the new tin last week and took in a not-unpleasant light whiff of rum and mild/sweet.

Keeping a short story short: I smoked three or four bowlsful in two different pipes. I'd call it very Virginia-dominant and it never offered a hint of bite. It was dryish out of the tin and smoked with a few swabs/bowl. I found it uninspiringly average tasting and totally missed the joy of its many boosters."*_

I suspect the tin I got must have been a tad flat according to the many comments I've heard about the deep, rich aroma, etc. etc. The tin was in fact undamaged, well sealed and it popped open with a loud draw of air. I thought the tobak was a bit dry; it smoked easily and lit without a struggle. I kept a few bowlsful and mailed a control sample to cquon for comment; Slow Triathlete got the balance of the tin. I guess we'll continue when they get their gear and check in with comments.

If you're a Plumcake fan (or hater - but I can't see why anyone would hate it) feel free to ring in and boost your opinion. :tu


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

I have no opinion since I have yet to try Plumcake.

Having said that, I am looking forward to hearing the upcoming reviews/opinions when the others "check in".


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Back in the time I was smoking Plumcake and enjoying it so much my tongue was being scorched black by any old tobacco I put in a pipe. Sloppy and poorly drilled pipes and restricted airways contributed to this as did a definite lack of cake and too many new and not-yet-broken-in briars. As I finally discovered the joy of having cool smokes affected by newly formed layers of cake I moved away from Plumcake and other mouth scorchers. I have a pound and a half of Plumcake that has sat nearly untouched for better than a year. As Moo reawakened this topic I decided to conduct my own little experiment. At this writing my tongue still has not recovered from my first straight from the tin attempt of three days ago, but when it finally does (hopefully in the coming week) I have several samples pre-dried and waiting to be smoked in a selection of different briars. Until then I will have to settle for the occasional whiff of sweet Plumcake from the tin where it sits patiently beside my PC.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Ayup, hard to keep it lit (the new stuff) smokin' it slow enuff to not get bit. But the old, moldy stuff - well, it's a horse of a different color, one might say.

Dan, your's goes out tomorrow.


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## DubintheDam (Jun 5, 2007)

I still love plumcake and have a sealed pouch sitting in the cellar...I find adding a little extra pinch of pure latakia or Nightcap...really pulls out the gentle latakia taste.

Yes it does bite...it can be a bit dry, but I find most MacB blends are on the dry side be they in pouch or tin.

I've actually recently blended my own Plumcake...which is a Poul Olsen's B93 (a blend of 3 VA's with a cinemon spiced dried orange casing), Stanwell's Cherry & Apple aromatic, and finally a good pinch of McConnell's pure Latakia thrown in. The end result is a spicey 'Fruitcake', it tastes dam good, but with all those casings it too...bites. However, smoked in a filter pipe, the bite is seriously reduced.


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

Looking foward to getting it. I'll light it up and put my comments/review in here as soon as it arrives.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Slow Triathlete said:


> Looking foward to getting it. I'll light it up and put my comments/review in here as soon as it arrives.


I'm looking forward to what you and cquon have to say, since we're all smoking out of the same tin. I'm thinking you'll agree it's a little dry and, perhaps as a result, a bit tame for an aromatic.

After lighting, the aromatic and oriental elements of this tobacco (from THIS tin - the only one I ever opened) seemed so faint I could have missed them through a very pronounced virginia. I didn't pay great attention to my over-puffing nature and the bowl never hinted of tongue-burn.

I understand that everything can't like everything. But I can't get over it - I WANT to like Plumcake as much as everyone else. It has so many touching reviews and I like sweet stuff. Maybe my nose is crapped out; maybe this tobak is flat; and maybe I've been so soaked in potent english blends lately that I've missed nuances in the Plumcake.

I can't wait to see what Slow' and cquon say about their samples. The jury is out.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

I might suggest getting a second tin. I have found the actual 'blending' to be slightly inconsistent. Some tins have more latakia, others are more VA forward.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Though not the topic of this thread I see that really olde Plumcake has not much in common with new Plumcake.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> Though not the topic of this thread I see that really olde Plumcake has not much in common with new Plumcake.


Hmmm...This makes me want to crack open this 10+ year old tin I have laying about......


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

Okay. So I am about halfway through my first bowl of this stuff. I really like the room note that is coming out of the bowl but the tobacco tastes, well like Moo put it, a bit flat. Nothing is really popping out for me to take notice. My plan is to smoke one more bowl with the tin as is and then I'll re-hydrate some of it to see if it makes any kind of difference.

So far my opinion is..................I've had bulk blends that were a lot better than this. Not a big fan so far. Who knows though, this might be a blend that grows on you. The one good thing is that it is a MacBaren and it hasn't bit my tongue. That in and of itself is quite remarkable!!


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Slow Triathlete said:


> Okay.
> 
> So far my opinion is..................I've had bulk blends that were a lot better than this. Not a big fan so far. Who knows though, this might be a blend that grows on you. The one good thing is that it is a MacBaren and it hasn't bit my tongue. That in and of itself is quite remarkable!!


FWIW I bought another tin on Saturday. I will send you a heaping handful later this week, Slow'lete. Except for the name on the tin it has very little in common with the first batch. I found a totally different aroma, a totally different flavor, a totally different aftertaste and, interestingly enough, a tendency to tongue - and roof-of-mouth bite when smoking to enthusiastically.


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

Wonder why there is such inconsistency. Might be simply the moisture content.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Mister Moo said:


> FWIW I bought another tin on Saturday. I will send you a heaping handful later this week, Slow'lete. Except for the name on the tin it has very little in common with the first batch. I found a totally different aroma, a totally different flavor, a totally different aftertaste and, interestingly enough, a tendency to tongue - and roof-of-mouth bite when smoking to enthusiastically.





Slow Triathlete said:


> Wonder why there is such inconsistency. Might be simply the moisture content.


I have to agree with these comments. I have noticed differences in tins, of which I have had only 3. The current tin I have was gifted by Bruce and burns extremely hot. The two pounds I've had were dryer and lighter on the ol' tonguebite on arrival.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Slow'lete - I'm back from a week of hard labor at the country estate. I'll send you a slice of the new P'cake on Monday. Totally different animal.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Mister Moo said:


> ...a tendency to tongue - and roof-of-mouth bite when smoking to enthusiastically.


Dan, this is why I cannot smoke this stuff. I don't have much patience as it is, and the Plumcake really bites. Even the old stuff will bite every now and then, but I can control it to a degree. I must also say that the older version is much more consistent.


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